Hoyer Remarks at Press Conference on President Obama Meeting With Demcratic Caucus

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) delivered remarks today at a press conference with House Democratic Leadership following President Obama's meeting with the House Democratic Caucus. Below is a transcript of his remarks:

"Thank you very much Madam Leader. As all of you would expect, we talked about a variety of issues. What the President brought every issue to [is] how it impacted on expanding the middle class and growing jobs. He talked about immigration being a way to grow jobs and grow our economy. He talked about manufacturing and Make It In America, about how we grow manufacturing, grow good jobs, good security for our people. He talked about education, investment in infrastructure. He talked about the Affordable Care Act, that the Chairman [Becerra] spoke about, of giving security to our people, bringing costs down for our people so that they can have health care assurance for themselves and their family.

“And lastly, one of the issues I would mention that I think is critically important - he talked about voting rights. Because ultimately it is the collective wisdom of America that will make a difference. It’s the voting of America, and we need to ensure that all Americans have access to the ballot box and that we assist, not impede their access to the ballot box.

“The president then closed with what I thought was a very compelling statement to us all. He said look, it’s the values that we represent, it’s the direction we want to take this country, it’s the assistance we want to give to all of the American people to have a better quality of life and more assurance in their security. It is that on which we are focused, and that on which we are right, he says, and we just need to keep focus on those issues.

“So it was a very positive meeting. A meeting which I think was a very important one for us to have with the President as we leave for this August break, and go to talk to the American people about where we are and where we need to go.

“We have 9 days after this week left in the legislative session before the government needs to be refunded. We have probably 60 days or so before we need to deal with the debt issue. And the President made it very clear that while he was prepared to work with our Republican colleagues, he was not prepared to put at risk the creditworthiness of the United States of America. And I think all of our Caucus on that clapped and indicated their support on his resolve.

“So I now want to introduce my good friend, the Assistant Leader, who has been very, very focused all of his life, but particularly now, on voting rights for all of our people – Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the Assistant Leader."